The invention relates to a decorative lamp and more specifically to one having a vertically oriented icicle-shaped body member. Existing structures are presently known having decorative lamp casings that have the appearance of an icicle. These structures do not present the visual effect of real icicles such as are found hanging from the roof of a house or building in parts of the world having ice and snow during the winter season. Some of these structures will be identified and discussed below.
The Land U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,967 discloses decorative lamp casings and lamp bulb envelopes shaped like an icicle. These lamp casings have circumferentially spaced resilient fingers adjacent their top ends that are detachably secured to the lamp bulbs of a string of Christmas tree lights. The stated icicle effect of the lamp casing is enhanced by simulated frozen water runs on the outer surface of the casing. In one embodiment of the invention, the lamp casing is integrally formed with the externally threaded base of the lamp bulb. This allows it to be threaded into the existing lamp bulb sockets of a string of lights.
The Adler U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,239 is directed to a decorative lamp structure with an icicle shape having an interior with a plurality of vertically spaced lights. A plurality of these lamp fixtures would be connected to the electrical cord of a string of Christmas tree lights.
The Hsu U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,624 is directed to a decorative artificial icicle for receiving a lampset therein that includes a tubular tapered body and a long plug receivable in the top of the body. The plug includes a cap and a clip with at least one clamp formed thereon. The clip extends into the tubular tapered body when the cap is secured in the top thereof. The clamp contains a bulb in a desired location.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel decorative artificial icicle assembly that can be illuminated both interiorly and exteriorly by the same lamp bulb.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel decorative artificial icicle assembly that has a detachable elongated icicle-shaped tubular body member that allows the lamp bulb to be replaced when it burns out.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel decorative artificial icicle assembly that has removable different colored lenses that allow the icicle assembly to change its visual colored appearance.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel decorative artificial assembly that has different length icicle-shaped body members that range in length from 1.5-18 inches to simulate real icicles such as commonly seen hanging from the eaves of the roof of a house or a building in the wintertime.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel decorative artificial icicle assembly that is economical to manufacture and market.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a conventional string of Christmas tree lights with the novel decorative artificial icicle assemblies.
The decorative illuminated artificial icicle assembly has a lamp housing, a light source and an elongated icicle-shaped body member. The lamp housing has an open bottom end having an interior width W1. The lamp housing has an interior chamber in communication with the open bottom end and the light source is mounted therein. The light source could be a single bulb or multiple bulbs or one or more LED""s. The interior of the lamp housing has a reflective surface that directs some of the light rays of the light source toward the open bottom end of the lamp housing.
The elongated icicle-shaped body member has a top end having a width W2. W2 is smaller than WI by a predetermined amount so that some of the light rays from the light source can be reflected downwardly against the outer surface of the icicle-shaped body member. The icicle-shaped body member has a length L1 in the range of 1.5-18 inches. It is preferably made from a translucent plastic material that would diffuse the light rays transmitted downwardly into the interior of the icicle-shaped body member. The icicle-shaped body member is preferably tubular but could also be made as a solid member. It could be made as a single tubular member or it could be made from multiple sections which assembled form the icicle-shaped body member. The icicle-shaped body member may also have a hole or aperture in its bottom end that will allow moisture or condensation therein to flow or drip outwardly from the interior of the icicle-shaped body member.
Various structures can be used to detachably support the top end of the icicle-shaped body member from the bottom end of the lamp housing.
A colored lens may be positioned between the light source and the top end of the icicle-shaped body member to vary the illuminated color of the icicle-shaped body member. A plurality of the decorative illuminated artificial icicle assemblies are connected to an electrical cord at longitudinally spaced positions similar to that of Christmas lights. The lamp housings would be supported from the eaves of the roof of a house or building.
In another embodiment of the invention the decorative artificial icicle assemblies could be used with a conventional string of Christmas tree lights that are hung on a Christmas tree itself. In such an embodiment the icicle-shaped body member could be less than one inch in length.